COOKIES and CULTURAL HOLIDAY

First I saw these cookies on FoodBuzz, they immediately caught my eye. I bookmarked the recipe and a few days later baked them, though in a little altered way.

Caramel Cookies My Way

The author of the recipe is Mama J @A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock n’Roll. Mama J has some pretty interesting recipes posted on her blog, do check them out! And for the original recipe and yummy photos click here. 

I’m posting these cookies in honor of Slovenian Cultural Holiday. My home country, Slovenia, celebrates Cultural Holiday every 8^th of February. Why 8^th of February? Because on this day the most famous Slovenian poet, France Prešeren (1800 -1849) died.

BAKED NOT FRIED

Simple cakes that are not fried but baked in the oven. I usually fry zucchini cakes on the stove top in an inch of oil, but this time, being in a hurry I decided to just pop them into the oven, so they'll be all done at the same time. No frying, no oily mess, and with aluminum foil covering the baking sheet, no pan washing either!

And after the zucchini cakes were a success, I decided to try tomato-onion cakes the same way! This recipe is easy, quick, no mess, and the variations are endless!

Zucchini Cakes In Oven
Baked Tomato Onion Cakes

ZA'ATAR SWIRLS

About za’atar:

Discover the taste and be inspired! Za’atar has a fresh herby taste with a zing. Za’atar, is Arabic for wild thyme and is common to Middle Eastern cooking. Usually it is combined with thyme, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. The thyme gives it an elegant perfume and the sumac a slight lemony edge, while the toasted sesame seeds provides that oh so wanted crunch. The flavors work together beautifully. Za’atar is served with bread and olive oil. Dip the bread in the oil and then the herb mix; or make a paste of the oil and za'atar, brush it over bread or pita and grill for a few minutes. You can also enjoy za’atar sprinkled on ripe tomatoes or dusted over thick labaneh (a thickened yogurt: just sprinkle yogurt with a pinch of salt and drain it in a cheese cloth overnight in the refrigerator).

I often wake up earlier on weekends, so I can bake za'atar swirl for breakfast. They are such a wonderful treat for all the family after a hard and hectic work week. Sometimes I add some variations to the swirls with adding some feta cheese to za'atar or just make some ham&cheese swirls, too. YUM!!!

Za'atar Swirls